Health committee backs sugar tax on soft drinks in fight against child obesity

MPs have called for a sugar tax of 20% on full sugar soft drinks as one of many measures needed to tackle the growing “crisis” of childhood obesity in the United Kingdom.

In a report1 by the parliamentary health committee published on 30 November MPs said that the sheer scale of childhood obesity demanded that the government take “bold and urgent” action on many fronts. The Department of Health is due to publish its “plans for action” on the issue in the next few months in a childhood obesity strategy.

MPs said that various measures were needed to deal with the problem, including the sugar tax; stronger controls on price promotions, marketing, and advertising of unhealthy food and drink; universal school food standards; clearer labelling of products; and a national reformulation …